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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1994)
world briefs NETHERLANDS Following three murders of gay men in a forest often used for cruising, the police department of Rotterdam has created the “Gay Team,” a two-man unit working exclusively on matters involving sexual minorities. Officers Wietse Lantinga and Dick Snaterse focus on homophobic harassment, violence, black mail, extortion, vandalism, and rape— and on get ting to know the queer community, reported the newspaper De Gay Krant. “Many gay men are married and hide their homosexuality,” Snaterse noted. “When they be come crime victims, they don’t report it to the police.” Cards • Gifts Balloons • Gift wrap Journals • Pens • ETC. Presents of M ind 3633 SE Hawthorne 230-7740' ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Four open gay men and lesbians and six clos eted gay men and lesbians won seats in the Neth erlands’ Parliament in the recent elections, De Gay Krant reported May 28. Those who “do not conceal their sexual iden tity,” as the newspaper phrased it, are Anne Lize van der Stoel, Ries Smits, Clemens Comielje and Boris Dittrich. Experience - The Competitive Advantage When you are buying or selling real estate, you want to be able to know that your agent has proven negotiating skills. RUSSIA Choose Scott Bottaro ... 8 Years' Experience in • Scott Bottaro Residential • Multi-units • 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges • Free Market Analysis Legislation mandating testing o f so-called HIV “risk groups” and foreigners awaits approval by the Russian parliament, the newspaper Novaya Yezhednevnaya Gazeta reported June 7. The draft law authorizes police to identify high-risk individuals and bring them in for forced 234-1887 work 287-9370 home OIAUOP Bridgetown Realty Member Million $ Club ¥ 5 •:¥ ÿ ■:¥. íí :* ¥:• :¥: :¥: :¥ ¥: « S: í Í ¥:• ¥: :¥: •¥• :¥ ¥> .¥:■ * jj $m% lw- P w y iti I«# f Sill j\o m ÎA th e tome to g jet irvw iw ed! The Portland Gay Men's Chorus proudly presents SÍ0MGS [MsfflM MD PlfiBBGXsMl 8:00 PM July 9, 1994 at the Intermediate Theatre Portland Center For Tho Performing Arts P O R T I. A 13 GAY MI N S CHORUS $15 $12 $8 Tickets Available at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts or by calling the Portland Gay Men's Chorus at 699-8586. In conjuiKtion with Coy Pride '94 Th e Perfe< t W ay To End The P e rfe ct D ay T ▼ ▼ T Three m embers o f the Tasm anian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group walked into H obarth’s main police station May 12 and presented officers with prepared statements on their sexual behavior. The move was made in an effort to force the Australian government to overturn Tasm ania’s anti-sodomy laws. The activists were not arrested, although police officials say their statements will be inves tigated with the possible result of future charges. Tasmanian state law prohibits oral and anal sex between men and carries a maximum 21-year sentence. THAILAND A real estate com pany announced June 1 plans to build an 800-home com m unity exclusively for gay men. The W achira Royal Valley company will erect “Flora Tow n” 90 miles northeast o f Bangkok near the town of Nakhon Ratchasima, project manger Dejdiow Srichai told the Reuters news service. "There are many, many gay men living in Thailand now, and I think they would like a little privacy and to live in beautiful surroundings,” Dejdiow said. The $ 10-million, 80-acre community is slated to open in 18 months. Foreign gay men will be welcome. UGANDA II m w im i laid out in the U.N. Declaration o f Human Rights. In April, the Tasm anian Parliament rejected an attempt to repeal the anti-sodomy law, with the backing of the ruling Liberal Party government. The U .N .’s decision is the first o f its kind and could be o f far-reaching significance for human rights activists around the world. In the United States, there are some two dozen states which still have anti-sodomy legislation on their books. Tasmania, a sparsely populated island south of Melbourne, is the only Australian state with this type o f legislation. Civil rights activists are hoping the U.N. decision will sufficiently embarrass the Australian governm ent that it will intervene with the state. Sweden’s parliament legalized same-sex mar riage June 7, by a vote o f 171-141 with 5 absten tions and 32 absences. • Sweden is the third country to allow gay men and lesbians to marry. Denmark was first, in 1989, and Norway followed, in 1993. The law comes into effect the first o f 1995. The margin of the win was a surprise to gay activists, who thought they might win or lose by two votes. Leading liberal MP Barbro W esterholm, leader of the parliamentary effort, received a standing ovation when she appeared at the center. As in Denmark and Norway, the law grants same-sex spouses all rights of marriage except access to adoption, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and church weddings. And, as in the other countries, one partner must be a citizen living in his or her homeland. A spokesman for Prime M inister Carl Bildt welcomed the law, saying: “We accept homo sexual love as equivalent to heterosexual. Love is an important force to personal as well as social development, and should therefore not be denied.” The parliamentary debate lasted six hours. Opponents said the law would affect too few people to be worth the effort. Supportive MPs gave thoughtful testimony on the situation o f lesbians and gay men in society. TASMANIA After repeated failed attempts to change anti- sodomy legislation in Tasmania, the United Na tions Human Rights Committee has declared such legislation a violation o f civil and human rights Ugandan Catholic Bishop Edward Baharagate denounced the governm ent’s condom distribution program June 3, saying it promotes immorality and will cause more AIDS deaths, reported the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The government o f President Yoweri Museveni has been handing out m illions o f free condoms, calling them the cheapest and most effective way to fight AIDS. Catholic doctrine forbids sex acts that cannot lead to pregnancy— including gay sex, masturba tion and oral sex. The church permits only “natu ral” birth control, wherein a woman monitors her vaginal mucous to determ ine fertile periods of the menstrual cycle. UNITED STATES Five members o f the Lesbian Avengers dis rupted a formal dinner for the United Nations Development Fund for W omen and demanded the inclusion of lesbians in all its programs. The five women paid $250 each to attend the dinner, while 50 other Avengers dem onstrated outside. There are differing accounts o f the disruption, but Avenger Michelle Cronk allegedly grabbed a microphone onstage and read a list o f demands while the other four Avengers handed out pamphlets. The five women were forced to leave the dinner. The pam phlet listed eight demands which included putting lesbians at the top o f the UNIFEM human rights agenda. The Lesbian Avengers plan to follow up by attempting to schedule a meeting with UNIFEM official Liz Daly Byrne, according to Cronk. If the meeting is set, the Avengers will have to send representatives other than “the U.N. five,” who were photographed and identified by U.N. secu rity. Compiled by Jann Gilbert and Rex Wockner